Can $60,000 bed give you sound sleep?

Insomnia! What comes to your mind by the word insomnia? Well I am thinking of Hollywood movie with lead actor Al Pacino, where he has trouble sleeping. That’s exactly the problem; insomnia is characterized by lack of sleep. I was surprised to read that beds as costly as $60,000 are available, which claim that this bed will solve your insomnia problems. Really! Article covered by The New York Times throws light on the fact that if costly mattress helps to sleep through better. The article covers response from Dr. Michael Thorpy and Shelby Freedman Harris of the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Here is the excerpt of the expert comments from Dr. Thorpy and Shelby:

People suffering from insomnia usually think their bed or some other environmental factor like light or noise, is the reason for their poor sleep. Uncomfortable mattress could be a reason for disturbance in sleep, but most often it is not.

There are limited studies that link sleep quality to quality of mattress and the results have been inconclusive. No clear benefit of any mattress type has been shown.

It is not clear whether you need soft or hard mattress to get good sleep. For examples people in jungle or hikers, etc sleep on hard ground and get good sound sleep. Some people sleeping on soft bed at hotels have problem in sleeping

It looks like comfortable sleep is largely a matter of conditioning to the environment that allows a person to sleep comfortably. Problems can arise, however, with sudden changes, such as staying in a hotel overnight, when a new bed or environment can be a factor in disrupting sleep.

justify;">Generally, people get used to their bed and sleep well. If bed is uncomfortable, then it can be cause of insomnia.

Choice of bed though hard or soft is matter of preference and it is not necessary that a bed of $60,000 will guarantee a good night’s sleep. Most people generally sleep very well on inexpensive beds.

It was interesting to note that most people can sleep through repetitive noise, like living near airport or city highway, though sudden exposure to noise can be detrimental.

If your bed is comfortable and you do not sleep well, then look at factors other than the bed.

Dr. Thorpy and Shelby Good sleep hygiene practices include:

Getting daytime exercise and light exposure.

Avoiding daytime naps.

Relaxing in the evening.

Avoiding caffeine and nicotine.

Not going to bed hungry, but avoiding large meals before sleep.

Dimming the lights an hour before bed.

Sleeping in a temperature of approximately 68 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit.

Avoiding clock watching during the night.

Well I think I am convinced that $60,000 bed is not a solution to your sleeping disorder, rather it may keep you awake if you are stressed over the amount you spent on a bed. Try to find out what is keeping you awake; soft/ hard beds and isolate the other environmental factors that are affecting your sleep.